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Tine Wetter Lily
Vol. 2.
APRIL, 1893.
No. 4"
ALIDA.
A STORY OF THE ILL-FATED STEAMER "LION."
CHAPTER X. THE REUNION.
It was late in the evening before James could obtain
the longed-for opportunity of having a conversation with
Alida. Once or twice he thought he could approach her;
but always some one or something interfered to unconsciously prevent the coveted tete-a-tete.
At length, however, the happy moment arrived. Alida
had just finished singing and sat apart from the others by
the bay-window, partly hidden by the curtains. James
hastened to her and eagerly took his seat by her side.
His handsome face was flushed as he bent towards her,
saying :
" Are you wearied with entertaining the company?"
" Not in the least," answered Alida, with a look of
pleasure. " I am only too pleased to be able to add in
any way to the enjoyment of my friends."
" I thought I should never be able to get a talk with
you. Everyone but I, seemed to have enjoyed that
privilege."
" I think, if I observed rightly, your time was as completely engrossed by your many acquaintances as my own."
" I do know a great many here, and, as I have not seen
several of the people for a very long time, we had a great
many subjects to talk over."
I think our hostess has discovered the true secret of
making a social gathering such as this, pleasant and
profitable.
She gathers together people of similar tastes, dispositions and ages and has the knack of discovering and inviting those who are intimately acquainted with each
other, Alida answered.
" That is just so," James replied. " You have discovered
the reason, tea parties here are always so enjoyable. One
has a sense of freedom and a home-like feeling which
..makes one dislike declining an invitation to come here."
" I could not help thinking, just now, how much Lottie
would have enjoyed an evening like this !" Alida said.
" We cannot forget the past and those who aided in
making life pleasant and enjoyable to us," James answered
sadly.
A tear fell from Alida's eye and dropped on her white
hand which she brushed hastily away, saying :
" I wonder if we shall ever hear what became of the
Lion P*
" I fear not," James answered with downcast face.
" How fearfully sudden the end must have been ! Very
likely the passengers were drowned in an instant."
" Why," answered James solemnly, " should sudden
death be looked upon as a calamity by us ? If we are
prepared for it, it but ushers us into a higher state of
happiness than can possibly be enjoyed on earth."
" True, to the christian, death in its most sudden forms
should have no terrors," Alida answered. Then she continued. " I have not had an opportunity of speaking to
you James, since you changed your opinions regarding the
temperance question. You can hardly conceive how much
pleasure the fact that you had taken the pledge brought
to me."
" The knowledge that the course I have taken should
have given you the slightest joy, would in itself be sufficient compensation for any sacrifice my connection with
the temperance cause might entail."
" It is kind of you to say so, James," Alida said, smiling.
" However," James continued, " My resolution to become a teetotaler has brought many rewards to me. One
good purpose, put into practice, brings its own recompense
by the power it bestows of performing others."
" Each victory will help you some other to win," quoted
Alida.
" How I wish my poor brother had taken warning in
time, and striven to overcome his appetite for drink, ere
it became too late. Can I ever forget his struggles, agony,
degradation and untimely death."
" Such a promising young man, too," James put in
sympathetically, as Alida's grief choked her utterance.
" Yes, and he became, through drink, an utter wreck."
" Which but for the grace of God I might, too, have
become/'
" I am glad you trace the cause of your reformation to
the right source. " Tell me, James, what do you consider
caused the loss of the Lion ? Do you think she struck a
rock ? Or could it be possible her boiler burst ?
" I believe that drink must have been the cause of the
accident," James answered briefly.
" I am of the same opinion," Alida said.
" Yes, I heard your beautiful song on the subject,"
Alida, one evening as I passed your house. You must
forgive me when I tell you I peeped through the blind.
The poetry, I suppose, was your own composition. Both
words and music were beautiful and the sweet strains of
your voice spoke peace to my troubled heart.
" I composed both the verses and their accompaniment
one evening when I was too sad to do anything else. Had
I known any one was listening I should have at once
ceased."
" And deprived me of a vast amount of pleasure; surely
not."
" Rather would I have induced you to seek something
more worthy of your appreciation. The musical and

w
Tine Wetter Lily
Vol. 2.
APRIL, 1893.
No. 4"
ALIDA.
A STORY OF THE ILL-FATED STEAMER "LION."
CHAPTER X. THE REUNION.
It was late in the evening before James could obtain
the longed-for opportunity of having a conversation with
Alida. Once or twice he thought he could approach her;
but always some one or something interfered to unconsciously prevent the coveted tete-a-tete.
At length, however, the happy moment arrived. Alida
had just finished singing and sat apart from the others by
the bay-window, partly hidden by the curtains. James
hastened to her and eagerly took his seat by her side.
His handsome face was flushed as he bent towards her,
saying :
" Are you wearied with entertaining the company?"
" Not in the least," answered Alida, with a look of
pleasure. " I am only too pleased to be able to add in
any way to the enjoyment of my friends."
" I thought I should never be able to get a talk with
you. Everyone but I, seemed to have enjoyed that
privilege."
" I think, if I observed rightly, your time was as completely engrossed by your many acquaintances as my own."
" I do know a great many here, and, as I have not seen
several of the people for a very long time, we had a great
many subjects to talk over."
I think our hostess has discovered the true secret of
making a social gathering such as this, pleasant and
profitable.
She gathers together people of similar tastes, dispositions and ages and has the knack of discovering and inviting those who are intimately acquainted with each
other, Alida answered.
" That is just so," James replied. " You have discovered
the reason, tea parties here are always so enjoyable. One
has a sense of freedom and a home-like feeling which
..makes one dislike declining an invitation to come here."
" I could not help thinking, just now, how much Lottie
would have enjoyed an evening like this !" Alida said.
" We cannot forget the past and those who aided in
making life pleasant and enjoyable to us," James answered
sadly.
A tear fell from Alida's eye and dropped on her white
hand which she brushed hastily away, saying :
" I wonder if we shall ever hear what became of the
Lion P*
" I fear not," James answered with downcast face.
" How fearfully sudden the end must have been ! Very
likely the passengers were drowned in an instant."
" Why," answered James solemnly, " should sudden
death be looked upon as a calamity by us ? If we are
prepared for it, it but ushers us into a higher state of
happiness than can possibly be enjoyed on earth."
" True, to the christian, death in its most sudden forms
should have no terrors," Alida answered. Then she continued. " I have not had an opportunity of speaking to
you James, since you changed your opinions regarding the
temperance question. You can hardly conceive how much
pleasure the fact that you had taken the pledge brought
to me."
" The knowledge that the course I have taken should
have given you the slightest joy, would in itself be sufficient compensation for any sacrifice my connection with
the temperance cause might entail."
" It is kind of you to say so, James," Alida said, smiling.
" However," James continued, " My resolution to become a teetotaler has brought many rewards to me. One
good purpose, put into practice, brings its own recompense
by the power it bestows of performing others."
" Each victory will help you some other to win," quoted
Alida.
" How I wish my poor brother had taken warning in
time, and striven to overcome his appetite for drink, ere
it became too late. Can I ever forget his struggles, agony,
degradation and untimely death."
" Such a promising young man, too," James put in
sympathetically, as Alida's grief choked her utterance.
" Yes, and he became, through drink, an utter wreck."
" Which but for the grace of God I might, too, have
become/'
" I am glad you trace the cause of your reformation to
the right source. " Tell me, James, what do you consider
caused the loss of the Lion ? Do you think she struck a
rock ? Or could it be possible her boiler burst ?
" I believe that drink must have been the cause of the
accident," James answered briefly.
" I am of the same opinion," Alida said.
" Yes, I heard your beautiful song on the subject,"
Alida, one evening as I passed your house. You must
forgive me when I tell you I peeped through the blind.
The poetry, I suppose, was your own composition. Both
words and music were beautiful and the sweet strains of
your voice spoke peace to my troubled heart.
" I composed both the verses and their accompaniment
one evening when I was too sad to do anything else. Had
I known any one was listening I should have at once
ceased."
" And deprived me of a vast amount of pleasure; surely
not."
" Rather would I have induced you to seek something
more worthy of your appreciation. The musical and